Helen Salisbury: GPs and the fallout from patient research

GPs spend a lot of time talking to patients about test results, and this can be particularly difficult if those tests were performed outside the NHS. Some people choose to undergo tests offered by commercial companies—often as part of a “wellness check”—or they may accept invitations to participate in research projects. In either case, if abnormalities are found they turn to their GP.The recent surge of concern about test results in my locality is due to the arrival of Our Future Health (OFH), a research collaboration involving public, private, and charitable sectors, with around two thirds (£160m) of its funding coming from industry.12 The programme hopes to recruit five million volunteers who will give unlimited access to their health records and DNA analysis data, which collaborating bodies can then use for health research.Often the motivation to get involved in research is altruistic, particularly if the research is badged with an…
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